Hello I am Aaron Kelling founder of Vistas Vacations a small property management company on Maui. I am making an appeal for emergency support to keep our business operating through the recent crisis on the island. The catastrophic fires on Maui and the ensuing after-shocks have decimated our economic lifeblood, the visitor economy. Our tight-knit operation watched 90 percent of its short-term rental revenue disappear in a matter of three days with no hope in sight for a positive change of course. The precarity of the island will only exacerbate as the collective conscious views Maui as a threatening place that is not safe for holidays and now marked by tragedy. This is the moment for action.

Our Maui Based team face unemployment and devistating financial loss. We are in conversation with Maui housing organizations to implement temporary housing and possible long-term housing of our properties for the displaced. At present local government is drafting a policy to assist in this. In order to fulfill these actions Vistas Vacations needs to stay afloat to continue to act as property managers as the circumstances shift to advocating for the displaced.

Throughout the crisis, we have received hundreds of calls from guests and various booking platforms asking to cancel reservations and provide a full refund. We have done our due diligence to cooperate with what is both ethical and advised by our platform partners while trying to hold onto longer lead reservations. Often with futility. We are looking at financial collapse and loss of service in the next month or so unless aid is administered.

We have had to react as quickly as possible to accommodate the tremendous response to the changes. We hope that the sympathetic eyes on Maui recognize the severity of this tragic disruption and lend the needed lifeline to possibly steer us through the calamity as this tragedy continues to unfold. Please help.

Our goal reflects two months of operational cost to proceed.